East Hanover Police Warn Dozens Who Don't Stop For Pedestrians

EAST HANOVER, NJ — Residents might want to think twice before they drive through a crosswalk with someone in it.

The East Hanover Police Department issued dozens of warnings to drivers who did not stop for people in crosswalks earlier this month during a decoy operation at Ridgedale Avenue and Ronald Driver.

The operation was designed to catch people who don't stop for pedestrians in crosswalks.

Of 246 drivers, 64 drivers, or 26 percent, did not stop to allow officers to cross the street, police said. Police issued warnings to each one of them.

The remaining 74 percent of drivers, 182, stopped to allow officers to cross.

One driver was issued a summons for operation of an unsafe vehicle, police said. That person was driving a vehicle with no brakes, police said, with the emergency brake as the only method of stopping.

Drivers must stop for pedestrians using a crosswalk. Motorists used to be able to just yield to pedestrians, but the state law was changed in April 2010.

Violators are subject to one or more of the following, if found guilty: a $200 fine, two points on their driving record, 15 days of community service, and insurance surcharges.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com